Coriander seed (not to be confused with the leaves of the same plant which many English-speaking people also call coriander but which Americans typically know as cilantro) is one of my favorite spices. I add it to all sorts of things, so I'm starting our tour of my spice cabinet with coriander because it was a toss-up between that and cumin. I think a lot of people, at least in certain parts of the world, know cumin fairly well, but coriander is one of those spices which everyone knows about but most people ignore in favor of flashier flavors, which is a shame.
In the picture above, on the right is the whole seed, which you may recognize from pickling spice or possibly from the little packet of spices they include with corned beef. Maybe you've encountered it in some other way, but it's much less common than its ground partner on the left. Most people have a small container of ground coriander seed they bought for some recipe at some point and then left in the cabinet. Maybe your coriander seed came with your house. Maybe you inherited it from your great-aunt Mildred.
Taste
The powder and the whole seed really do have different tastes here. Grinding releases a lot of the delicate flavor compounds and they go away pretty quickly, so if you didn't just grind it, it'll be a little less intense. Grinding also exposes the spice to the tongue more evenly. The whole seed, when you crunch it between your teeth, releases a pop of bright citrus flavor, which then subsides into the flavor of the ground, which is warmer on the tongue. Both are citrus-y though, but with the ground you can understand why people call it a warm spice.
If you've ever had a beer which was described as having citrus notes, you may have had a beer which had some coriander involved in its making. Coriander lends a less bitter citrus. Hops tend toward the grapefruit end of the spectrum, whereas a beer which was brewed with coriander will often have a sweeter, warmer citrus, like orange or lemon, involved in it.
Lastly, there's the aftertaste. I'm not a fan of "grassy notes," because it makes me think of eating lawn clippings and no one wants to do that, but I suppose some might call the finish of coriander, both ground and whole, herbacious? There are hints of the leaves of the plant, and while I've never encountered anyone with the problem, I suppose that if you think cilantro tastes like soap, you might feel the same way about coriander, but I know people who think cilantro tastes like soap and they don't complain when they eat curry powder.
Using that as a segue, coriander forms one of the bases for a lot of curry powders, garam masalas, and even some Five Spices. In concert with other flavors it tends to lend more warmth than citrus, and when it's roasted the brightness is dialed way down and the warmth way up. Coriander, fennel, and fenugreek are the most noticeable flavors in a lot of Chinese/Japanese curry, whereas coriander and cumin make up the bulk of most masalas in the Indian palate.
Flavor Pairings
We've talked a lot about citrus, so it stands to reason that the first thing I say will be, "Pair it with citrus." And yes, you certainly can do that. It adds warmth to a bright citrus, and its brightness withstands heat better than citrus juice does. If you're looking to enhance a citrus flavor, you could do much worse than adding some coriander to the mix. A lemon vinaigrette, for instance, benefits from a pinch of coriander, and if you're grilling with citrus, coriander is your friend because it doesn't cook off and you can reinforce the citrus flavor.
That said, coriander by itself is a wonderful way to skip the acidity of citrus but still get some of that flavor. It's wonderful on fish (I find that it tempers the heavy fishiness of some fish in the same way citrus does) without obscuring the delicate flavors of the fish. It's equally at home on a vegetable which would go well with lemon butter. If you're roasting zucchini, toss a little coriander in there to brighten things up.
As has been mentioned, you really can't do curry without coriander, so I won't go into too much detail there, but consider adding some to a cheese sauce. Unlike the acidity of citrus it won't curdle your dairy and it brightens and cuts through some of the heavy creaminess of cheese.
Beyond that, if you cook it for a longer period than just blooming it, it provides good background notes to almost anything. If you've got a recipe which calls for cilantro but you have cilantro-haters in the crowd (no shame, there's really nothing they can do to help it, even though I do feel sorry for them) try adding some coriander powder instead. For that matter, suppose you love cilantro: add coriander powder at the beginning and cilantro at the end to give a full spectrum of coriander flavor.
We've been talking a lot about the powder, because that's what a lot of people have, but if you can track down your local "ethnic" market (sometimes it might even be a section in your supermarket) and get the seeds in bulk, not only is this the best way to grind your own, but now you can add the whole seeds to things. Chuck them in rice for a fun citrus surprise as you crunch them. Bloom them in oil or roast them and then toss them into roasted vegetables or even a salad. The intensity is tempered by heat, but you'll still know when you bite into one.
Lastly, you know I love pancakes. You can make savory pancakes with some whole spices tossed in to add excitement. Coriander seed is perfect for this because it doesn't have the intensity of biting into a whole clove or peppercorn, if you're of the more timid persuasion. If you want more of the flavor in the pancake and less dependent on luck, you can lightly crush the seeds before you add them; coriander crushes quite easily in a baggie with the bottom of a pan, or even just between your palms if you're feeling feisty. I'd add other spices too, and maybe I'll do a recipe for this, but you could just add coriander seed and serve with some butter.
The weird suggestion at the end
I think I'm going to try to do one of these for every spice I can.
Coriander and honey butter
Add a teaspoon of coriander to a small bowl (depending on how zany you're feeling, you could add one teaspoon for every tablespoon of butter), then add a few tablespoons of butter. Microwave the two together until the butter is melted and bubbling. Add a tablespoon or two of honey, depending on how sweet you like things. Stir stir stir. Put the bowl in the fridge and check every so often to stir some more, until the butter, coriander, and honey are incorporated and have formed a spread. Put it on toast. Put it on chicken. Put it on little toasts and top with an olive slice. Go wild. I think you'll like it more than you think, and it's a great way to use coriander that might be a little past its best-by date.
Go out there and try some coriander. You may find yourself adding it to everything. Let it surprise you. This is cookable.
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